Published online Nov 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i41.15310
Revised: June 21, 2014
Accepted: July 16, 2014
Published online: November 7, 2014
AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of hydroxynaphthoquinone mixture (HM) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and explore the underlying mechanisms.
METHODS: BALB/c mice received 3.5% DSS for 6 d to induce ulcerative colitis. Groups of mice were orally administered HM 3.5, 7 and 14 mg/kg and mesalazine 200 mg/kg per day for 7 d. During the experiment, clinical signs and body weight, stool consistency and visible fecal blood were monitored and recorded daily. A disease activity index score was calculated for each animal. At the conclusion of the experiment, the colonic histopathological lesions were evaluated. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were determined. Protein expression levels of TNF-α, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65, inhibitor of κB (IκB) and phosphorylation of IκB (p-IκB) were analyzed by Western blot analysis.
RESULTS: Administration of 3.5% DSS for 6 d successfully induced acute colitis associated with soft stool, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and colon shortening, as well as a loss of body weight. Administration of HM effectively attenuated the severity of colonic mucosa injury. For histopathological analysis, HM treatment improved histological alterations and lowered pathological scores compared with the DSS only group. This manifested as a reduction in the extent of colon injury and inflammatory cell infiltration, as well as the degree of mucosal destruction. In addition, HM at doses of 7 and 14 mg/kg significantly decreased MPO activity in colonic tissue (0.98 ± 0.22 U/g vs 1.32 ± 0.24 U/g, 0.89 ± 0.37 U/g vs 1.32 ± 0.24 U/g tissue, P < 0.05) and serum TNF-α levels (68.78 ± 7.34 ng/L vs 88.98 ± 17.79 ng/L, 64.13 ± 14.13 ng/L vs 88.98 ± 17.79 ng/L, P < 0.05). Furthermore, HM down-regulated the expression of TNF-α, NF-κB p65 and p-IκBα in colonic tissue while up-regulating IκBα protein expression. These results suggest that the significant anti-inflammatory effect of HM may be attributable to its inhibition of TNF-α production and NF-κB activation.
CONCLUSION: HM had a favorable therapeutic effect on DSS-induced ulcerative colitis, supporting its further development and clinical application in inflammatory bowel disease.
Core tip: There is an urgent need for effective and safe therapeutic approaches for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. We obtained a hydroxynaphthoquinone mixture (HM) from Zicao. Previously, HM demonstrated a favorable therapeutic effect in 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. To exclude that the therapeutic effect was limited to TNBS-induced colitis, we evaluated the effect of HM in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Similarly, we found that HM was beneficial in DSS-induced colitis. The underlying mechanism may be associated with the regulation of tumor necrosis factor-α level and nuclear factor-κB activity. These findings provide support for further development of HM for clinical applications.